The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-27
GAY WASHINGTON.
It's Lively Streets, Handsome Eoui-
pages and Lovely Girls.

N"tiSJ wanna avenue, So well dressed ana
gay are the people, so brilliant are the
equipages that one might fancy Washing
ton is Ell fete.
The climate of Washington for nine
months in the year is delicious, and for the
other three it is as bearabe as that of New
York, Boston or St. Louis. No capital of
Europe can boast of so mauy pleasant days
in the year as Washington.
Washington is not commercially busy.
The people live and move and have their
being in leisure. Here there is charming
spirit Of repose Only when the ''season is
on'' are people hurried, and then only in
social way.
The thousands who promenade ''the ave
nue." do so as though aimlessy, for, oddly
enough, there is but little shopping done
during the afternoon. The shop windows
are showing much skill and taste in their
decorations, and learned judges, distin-
gulshed Senators, notable Representatives
and lovely women stop and look and ad-
mire.
In the season Washington is the best
dressed city in America. And in his mat
ter OF dress what change has been wrought
Ill the past score of years!
There was q time when the Southern
Congressman was the leader of the fashion.
He affected nonchalance, the wide expanse
OF shirt bosom, the broad, rolling collar, the
wide bri med soft felt hat. / is clothes
were of broadcloth and he wore on pretty
| nearly all occasions the frock coat whose
inside pockets were used as pigeon holes for
all manner of papers and documents
In those bygone days the ladies dressed in
splendor-although not IN taste-and shop
ped attired as though making formal calls
All that is changed.
1t has been said by foreigners that now
American ladies are the best dressed and
American gentlemen the worst dressed of
any people in the world By comparison
this is true. In England, France and Italy
it is said that gentlemen spend as much for
| their clothes as do the ladies. Perhaps this
is not wholly true in England, but certainly
up to within very few years American
gentlemen did not spend upon dress one
third the money Englishmen in the same
section of society and of the same income
would spend
Here are two facts which it is DELIGHTFUL
to note. The first fact is that Paris still sets
the fashion for women, and the second is
that London now sets the fashion for men.
The French women of all classes are the
best dressed, and the English men Of all
classes are the best and most suitably
dressed. But Americans are CATCH up.
Pennsylvania avenue is full of well dressed
men and women The ladies show good
tastes in wearing simple and suitable gowns
on the street, and the gentlemen are very
generally adopting the English morning
cutaway coat and trousers in some material
of rather light color
ON THE AVENUE.
President Cleveland does not walk on the
avenue In this respect he breaks the con-
tinuity of Presidential habits. From Wash
ington to Arthur. all the Presidents have
shown themselves on foot in the streets of
the capital city. The custom of their pres
ence in the public thoroughfares greatly les
sened idle curiosity concerning them and
made them much more part of the COM
mon life of Washington.
Mr.. Lincoln, and notably Gen. Grant
were frequently among the promenaders
upon the avenue. There is no street in the
world where SO many well-known men may
be seen during an hours walk on a bright
afternoon as here. And where on earth can
one see SO many lovely girls and handsome
matrons as right here?
English women, except in the very high
est walks of life, are not beautiful-far from
it. They are not graceful in figure or car
riage; they are large-boned and of irregular
and not comedy features The French
women are gracious in manneIs and are
very engaging in their ways, but their com
plexions are sallow and their expression is
artificial and not assuring to one seeking
sincerity and fidelitp. Roman women-in-
deed, one might say Italian women-are
beautiful III complexion which is in color
brickdust and olive-and in luminous and
brilliant eyes, but they arc wanting in all
expression of intelligence. No, there are
not Oh earth such lovely women as ours.
MEN OF NOTE.
Gen. Sheridan has moved among the
throng and has had hisfull share of observa-
ton and attention. He is socially, perhaps
the most popular man in Washington.
Everybody likes Sheridan. He is honest
frank and good hearted, in the right and
best sense of that phrase. He is free from
all airs and Alterations. He is as modest as
Grant was. Sheridan ON the street, OF
course, dresses as a civilian, and he dresses
we'll His short, stout figure is not well
suited to exhibit to the full the best results
of the tailor's art, but his tailor has made
the most of his subject, and Sheridan posi-
lively looks well in his slapely light top coat
and his dark striped trousers.
Allison has really grown portly. His
summers vacation and the hot weather have
robbed him of flesh. He has apparently
Laid on a stone since last winter. He
walks with great dignity and his step Is
slow and measured. His hat is Just out of
the hatter's bandboX, and he is dressed from
head to foot in the best material and in the
latest fashion. He is looking in the best of
form and says he is ready for the fray.
Senator Sherman is as tall, as straight, as
sinister and as cold as aforetime. friend
who has been neighbor of Sherman for
many years, and who has teen on intimate
terms with him, said that he never heard
Sherman laugh and has seldom seen him
smile. He is now growing old His hair
and full beard are perfectly white. He
dresses in regulation style, barring the fact
that his overcoat, of rather light material
is unduly long. He stops often to speak
with acquaintance.
THE PRESIDENTS TURNOUT.
Mrs. Cleveland was driving the other
afternoon, accompanied by three young lady
friends, who are at present her happy guests
Her carriage is somewhat shabby and it did
not have the appearance of being well cared
for. The horses are far from "high step
ping" and the coachman, no doubt, has
occult merits, and these must atone for the
lack of all obvious ones He was in lift
ting and ill-becoming livery, and carried
and used his whip as though this We're his
first experience on the box.
There was no footman. Where one goes
so far as TO put a coGchman in conspicuous
light colored livery it stops short Of ''just
tina thing" of being CONNIE IL .faut to do
without the truly necessary attendance of a
footman 1t was rather awkward when